Amida Buddhism Newcastle

Meetings week beginning 31st March 2008

Pureland Buddhism at Amida Sanctuary

Tuesday 1st April, 7 - 9 pm

::find us here

Meditation For Relaxation

For the staff and students at both Northumbria and Newcastle Universities: There will be no meetings until the beginning of the summer term. I will update this site with dates and venues in due course. You are welcome to join us at Amida Sanctuary on Tuesday evening (see above).

amida france is opening in may + news of dharmavidya's teachings, 10 - 30 july

Susthama and a couple of members from The Buddhist House will go to France in mid-May (2008) to open it up for the summer season. The retreat centre has been closed for the winter period and so there will be alot of work initially; getting the place aired out and clean, digging the garden to get the beds ready for planting, clearing paths for outdoor walking meditation and also to make a way to the meditation hut ready for anybody interested in doing a solitary retreat in the woods.

It's a great time of year to be in France. If you're in need of space, fresh air, and a retreat atmosphere then do come along.

::link

During the three week period of the July Retreat,
Dharmavidya & Prasada
will give lectures on
Pureland Buddhism and its Application in Society, Culture and the Arts

* 12 lectures over the three week period

There will also be

* periods of Pureland practice
* introductory seminars for the less experienced on the basics of the Pureland approach
* seminars and coaching for the more experienced related to Buddhist chaplaincy and ministry

As usual there will be plenty of opportunities for outdoor life, community living, discussion and sharing with stimulating company, and good vegetarian food, much of it from the centre's own garden.

::link

Meetings week beginning 24th March 2008

Pureland Buddhism at Amida Sanctuary

Tuesday 25th March, 7 - 9 pm
::find us here

Meditation For Relaxation

For the staff and students at both Northumbria and Newcastle Universities:
Guided Meditation session on Wednesday 26th March, 12:15 - 1:10 pm
at Northumbria Chaplaincy ::find the Chaplaincy here

Pureland Buddhism at Amida Sanctuary

Tuesday 25th March, 7 - 9 pm
::find us here

Meditation For Relaxation

For the staff and students at both Northumbria and Newcastle Universities:
Guided Meditation session on Wednesday 26th March, 12:15 - 1:10 pm
at Northumbria Chaplaincy ::find the Chaplaincy here

Dharmavidya's Pastoral Letter: Open Secret

From Dharmavidya, head ot the Amida Order:

::Pastoral Letter of 21 March 2008

Dear Friends

The Pureland Way is a kind of open secret. It is open in the sense that anybody can easily get to know that Purelanders are those for whom their prime spiritual practice is saying the nembutsu. It is secret in the sense that few who have not immersed themselves in it realise what a transforming effect this practice has upon people’s lives.

Firstly, let us appreciate the extreme simplicity of this approach which operationalises everything that was taught by Shakyamuni and all the other Buddhas in the most direct way. Through the nembutsu we give up self, entrust ourselves to the Great Way, fulfil our karmic destiny, create a Pure Land for all, attain great happiness, and free ourselves from samsara for the benefit of all sentient beings. This is all through the power of nembutsu.

The nembutsu way is a generic spirituality. Actually it is for “Buddhists of all religions”. There is nothing sacred about the actual words of the nembutsu - in different countries it is said differently - but it becomes nembutsu by intent - the intent to reach out toward and to be open to what is sacred. The person who says nembutsu (the nembuts’sha), in effect, says, “I am a spiritual person and I am embraced by the spirit everywhere.”

To be spiritual is to relate to the spirit. Different people conceive spirit differently due to differences of human capacity. The nembutsu means “I am an ordinary person calling out to that which is most good, true and exquisite.” These two interpretations of the nembutsu are just different facets of the same jewel for the spiritual person is the person who recognises his or her ordinariness and the spirit that is everywhere is that which is most sublime.

::Pastoral Letter of 21 March 2008

Dear Friends

5th Living Buddhism Conference - book now

::follow the link to book now to secure a place at the
5th Living Buddhism Conference
(Narborough, Leicestershire, UK in April-May 2008)
using the pdf booking form

Meetings week beginning March 10th 2008

Pureland Buddhism at Amida Sanctuary

Tuesday 11th March, 7 - 9 pm
::find us here

Meditation For Relaxation

For the staff and students at both Northumbria and Newcastle Universities:
Guided Meditation session on Wednesday 13th March, 12:15 - 1:10 pm
at Northumbria Chaplaincy ::find the Chaplaincy here